Near-flawless technique
and charismatic style

by Mike Morrison

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Perhaps no figure skater in history exuded more
elegance, beauty, and grace on the ice than East German
Katarina Witt. But while her beauty was well documented, and well displayed
for that matter, it was her near-flawless technique and charismatic style
on the ice that vaulted her to the top of the skating world in the 1980s.

Witt was born on Dec. 3, 1965, in Staaken, East Germany, and began
skating by the age of five. By age nine she was already skating under the
guidance of renowned East German coach Jutta Muller, and by age 11 she had
landed her first triple jump.

It was in 1984 that Witt truly exploded
onto the world's stage. At the ripe old age of 18, she won her first of four world championship titles. But she truly
reached the pinnacle by dazzling the judges at the
1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, edging American Rosalynn Sumners for
the gold medal.

For the next several years, Witt simply dominated,
winning world championships in 1985, 1987, and 1988. Only skating legend Sonja Henie (10),
Carol Heiss (5), Herma Planck-Szabo (5), and Michelle Kwan (5) have won
more. The combination of Witt's success on the ice and stunning good looks
made her one of the most popular champions in the history of the sport.

The 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary showcased
the highly anticipated battle between Witt and American rival Debi Thomas,
winner of the 1986 world championships.

Coincidentally, both elected
to skate to Bizet's Carmen. Witt skated first and
turned in a beautiful, moving performance, albeit a conservative one. The
door was open for Thomas to take the gold, but her choice of a risky performance
proved costly. Early in Thomas's routine, she two-footed a landing on a combination—a
skating no-no. She never quite recovered.

Witt won the
gold, becoming the first woman since Henie in 1936 to successfully defend
her title. Canadian Elizabeth Manley won the silver, while a disappointed
Thomas captured the bronze.

Witt gave up her amateur status after
her performance in 1988, but when professionals were allowed back to Olympic
competition in Lillehammer in 1994, she returned and finished seventh.

She continued on the professional circuits, participating in such events as
"Discover Stars on Ice," and parlayed her talents into a successful career
in the entertainment business. To her fans, she will forever be known as "Katarina
the Great."